Elvis, Born to Be a Champion: Kid Galahad

KID GALAHAD (EUA, 1962)

Original title: Kid Galahad

Filming date:

November 2 - December 20, 1961

Release date:

August 11, 1962

Running time:

96min

Production company:

United Artists

Budget:

US$ 1,5 million

Box office:

US$ 1,8 million

Main cast:

Elvis Presley

Gig Young

Lola Albright

Charles Bronson

Soundtrack:

"She's Not You" (single)
[b/w "Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello"]
(July 17, 1962)
"Kid Galahad" (EP)
(August 28, 1962)
"Kid Galahad" (CD/LP)
(FTD, 2004/2022)

Kid Galahad is Elvis' tenth film, a remake of the 1937 classic of the same name with Humphrey Bogart. Elvis acts as the main character, boxer Walter Gulick.

The production was taped on location in Idyllwild, California between November 2 and December 20, 1961. Filming was stopped for two weeks due to a blizzard, which caused the final scenes to be transferred to studios in Hollywood.

For this role, Elvis learned the art of boxing from retired featherweight champion Mushy Callahan, who also stars in the film. Lightweight champion at the time, Orlando De La Fuente, also stars in the film as Ramón "Sugar Boy" Romero.

The film premiered at No. 9 at the box office and was the 37th highest-grossing of 1962, with some critics calling it one of Elvis' best performances (perhaps due to the fact that director Michael Curtiz also took the position in 1958's "King Creole"), but otherwise the production is not the best. Joe Esposito, Sonny and Red West appear in the film in uncredited roles.


SOUNDTRACK

Recorded in two sessions on October 26 and 27, 1961 at Radio Recorders, the six songs featured in the film were released on an EP on August 28, 1962.

At this point in his career, Elvis had recorded over 300 demos that were usually sent to the production to choose the film's soundtrack. As the plots were similar, songs that were not used in one could usually be used in another. This is the case of "A Whistling Tune", which was recorded for "Follow That Dream" and ended up being part of this soundtrack.

The complete soundtrack was first released on CD in "Elvis Double Features: Kid Galahad and Girls!, Girls!, Girls!" in March 1995. FTD re-released the work with extras in 2004, the complete recording sessions in 2020 and an LP with the best tracks in 2022.

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SUPPORTING CAST

GIG YOUNG

Byron Elsworth Barr was born on September 4, 1913 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and began his career in high school; he soon won a scholarship to a famous acting school. His first film performance was in 1942, when he played a character called Gig Young and his agent convinced him to keep the name.

The actor returned to the screen in 1951, but already with serious health problems due to his alcoholism. Between 1963 and 1977, his appearances on both TV and film became less and less.

Byron and his wife were found dead in their Manhattan apartment on October 19, 1978. Police theorized that Gig, then 64, had shot his wife to death and then committed suicide.

LOLA ALBRIGHT

Lola Jean Albright was born on July 20, 1924 in Akron, Ohio. Before going to Hollywood, Lola worked as a model. She made her film debut in 1947 and made further TV appearances between 1948 and 1967.

In cinema there were 30 films, the best known of which are "Kid Galahad" and "Champion", both with the same boxing theme. The actress made an immense career with small roles in series and was married three times, the last one in 1961; all ended in divorce.

The actress had no children and remained single until she died at the age of 92 on March 23, 2017.

CHARLES BRONSON

Charles Dennis Buchinsky was born in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania on November 3, 1921 and began his career in films and series at the age of 30. Until 1968, the actor would make a brilliant career with memorable roles in films such as "The Magnificent Seven" and "Once Upon a Time in the West", in addition to participating in several series.

Between 1968 and 1973 Bronson appeared in Italian productions, until he fell in love with the American public and won his own series of films - "Death Wish" (1974 - 1994). From 1981 to 1999, the actor appeared in a series of mostly police-themed and very violent films. His last film appearance was in 1994 and on TV in 1999.

Bronson suffered from Alzheimer's from 1997 onwards. In 1998, a hip surgery prevented him from continuing his career. The actor died of pneumonia on August 30, 2003, aged 81.